Optical networks are used to deliver data, voice and video services to multiple network subscribers using one or more optical fibers. The optical networks that are used to deliver the data, voice and video services may be either passive or active. In a passive optical network (PON), passive optical components such as optical combiners and splitters enable multiple subscribers to share the same optical fiber. Thus, the PON functions as a point-to-multipoint optical network. A PON may conform to any of a variety of PON standards, including, for example , gigabit-capable PON (GPON) (ITU G.984), gigabit-capable Ethernet PON (GEPON) (IEEE 802.3) and broadband PON (BPON) (ITU G.983). In an active optical network, electrically-powered equipment, such as switches, routers, and multiplexer, is used to distribute the signal to the subscriber premises. Thus, an active optical network, such as an active Ethernet optical network, operates as a point-to-point network.
Within these various types of optical networks, various schemes are used to deliver the optical signals to the subscriber premises, including, for example, fiber to the node/neighborhood (“FTTN”), fiber to the curb (“FTTC”), fiber to the building (“FTTB”), fiber to the home (“FTTH”), fiber to the premises (“FTTP”), or other location to which a fiber network extends. An optical network terminal (OTN), which is typically mounted on the outside of the customer premises, performs O/E conversion of signals being transmitted downstream to the customer premises and E/O conversion of signals being transmitted upstream from the customer premises to the optical network. Typically a wall plate has a front face with at least one electrical port to allow the customer to plug an electrical cable into the port to connect customer devices to the electrical port via telephone cables, data cables and/or radio frequency (RF) video cables.
The backside of the wall plate has electrical contacts that are connected by electrical wiring to the OTN. The OTN typically includes an uninterruptible power supply for powering the electrical circuitry of the OTN. An installer typically installs the OTN on an outside wall of the customer premises and runs electrical wiring to connect electrical contacts on the backside of the wall plate to electrical contacts of the OTN. In some cases, the premises already has the electrical wiring running from the backside of the wall plate to a location outside of the premises so that the installed does not have to run the wires.
Alternately, the optical signal is brought to the premise with an optical connector on the wall plate and the customer is required to connect an optical cable from the wall plate to their modem, in which case the modem is a separate box that must be positioned somewhere in the room and powered, usually by plugging into a wall outlet.
It would be desirable to eliminate the need for an externally-mounted OTN and the tasks associated with running electrical wires from the backside of the wall plate to the OTN. It would also be desirable to eliminate the need for a separate power supply. It would also be desirable to provide a wall plate that can directly connect to an end of an optical fiber cable of the optical network. It would also be desirable to eliminate the need for a separate modem box and its need for a connection to a wall plug.